Die casting design for automotive component involves of these considerations in which include of the cost, performance, manufacturability and quality control. The design is brainstorm and innovation thought on engineering design,and requires that the designer has enough advature spirit and maintain the patient that still keep the continueous modification and improvement.Wether zinc die casting or aluminum die casting, is directly determined by the specific requirements of the die casting component.
Core Design Principles Of Die Casting Design For Automotive Component
Die casting manufacturer provides high performance die casting components to meet the specific requirements of functions and applications of the cast parts. designer should follow core design principles of die casting design strictly, and design the reliable, cost-efficiency, strong integrated structure die casting components. Complying with the below design contraints, with successful design experience and diligent, create unprecedent design drawing.
- Wall Thickness Design: Focus on the metal die casting component, which should has the integrated structure. Wall thickness design is much enssential, designing proper wall thickness makes the cast part less waste and integrated structure.
- Fillets and Radii: The cast part should has fillet and radii and convenient to the full filling of the metal flow.
- Draft Angles: Enough easy to eject the cast part, avoid stuck the die and the residue on the core of the die.
- Rib and Boss Design: Reinforce the integrated structure of the cast part and other assemblies.
- Parting Line Design: More thin and less flashing reduces the post-processing of the cast part.
Cost Of Die Casting Design For Automotive Component
The cost of die casting design for automotive component produces from the material cost, labor and time cost and the cost of machining. The design process is time-consuming and much labor power. The main show the below main points in detail.
| Product Design & Engineering
Product design and engineering belongs to product innovation and D & R, which should be engaged and finished by proficient engineers and designers combined elite team. Especially the design for automotive component, follows the common quality management system of IATF 16949, So the design cost for product is a big cost, in which contains time-consuming cost and labor cost.
| Simulation & Validation
Die casting manufacturer all know that flow simulation tool is premium testing software, which tests and monitors visual metal flow simulation inside the cast die. It can predict the troubles and defects during the die casting process in advanced, makes designers and engineers much improvement and optimization for the intial mold, and save much time and labor cost. But the magma software is premium vision, require reasonable expense. about the charge range from $500 – $5,000 per project.
| Tooling (Die) Cost
Tooling cost include the cost of tooling steel, design and manufacturing of the die and prototying . The design for the die is complex and time-consuming process, where engineers can design the 3d model of the die. It includes the core and the cavity of the die carefully, even more the injection of die casting process system, ensure the designed die can have a high efficiency mass production at high volume.
Tooling steel requires more higher demand for the high effective manufacturing process, so the cost of the raw material for the die is much top. It should endure repeative impacts at higher temperature and have a longer life time.
While the die manufacturing is precision and quite patient prcoess. Mold technician makes the core and cavity of the die with these precision machining equipment, such lathe, cnc milling machines, cnc grinding manchines, precise drilling machines and EMD etc. Depends on the design drawing of the die, with the above equipment to manufacture high performance cast die.
The best way to verify the performance of the die is prototyping. The die is assemblied on the die casting machine, and exprience a serial assemblies and adjustment, the die will run and make first shot prototyping.
| Production Cost
The production cost contains die casting machine loss cost, the cost for the raw material of product, labor cost and other ancillary expenses. As soon as the mass production must high efficiency process, the enterprise make more profits and maintain competitive capability.
From the above information, we learned that the cost of die casting design for automotive component is a big expenses. It is almost account for 50% of the overall cost of component. Die casting manufacurer should be focus on cost of die casting design for automotive component when the price of the component will be defined.
Design for Manufacturability (DFM)
Design for maunfacturability means require high effective die casting process, which involves of the design of high performance steel tool manufacturing, production line automation and temperature management strategy. These factors determine the production abillity and acquired profits of the enterprise.
| The Design Of Steel Tool Manufacturing
The design means how to design the performance of the die, ensure the process of mass production at high efficiency is steady and sustainable. The design of the die casting process system is optimized to cast high quality cast parts in minimal time, allows uniform cooling on the surface of the part, avoid shut cold and imperfect parts happened. Improve porosity status on the parts, Even through longer time die usage, and produce more qualified cast parts.
| The Design Of Production Line Automation
More automated production line, More high productive rate at mass production. In order to gain higher profit and less labor cost, the design of production line automation is raised on manufacturing schedule. The automatic production line reduces the cost of personal error operation and speed up the mass production. Compare to traditional flexible personal operations, the automated production line opearation insists on the steady production quality and unfatigue still working.
| The Design Of Temperature Management Strategy
The steay temperature management ensures the molten metal still has a steay temperature, and even moten metal at metal reservior. This prevents uneven molten metal cause defective cast past from the cast process.
Die Casting Design For Automotive Component: Performance
Focus on die casing design for automotive component on performance is beneficial to raise productive rate and build enterprise’s pround reputation and competitive capacity in the metal manufacturing world.
| Material-Specific Design Considerations
- Cold Chamber Die Casting: The common manufacturing process is suitable for high melting points metal, like aluminum, copper and stainless steel. The separated molten furnace is parepared for continous injection, and cast part need a lower cooling, and cast cyle time longer, So the entrapped gas within the molten metal should be removed ensure strong structural parts and improved porosity on the parts. The high performance cast die should be designed and fabrication.
- Hot Chamber Die Casting: The popular metal process is ideal for lower melting points metal, such as zinc, lean, tin and magnesium. Hot chamber die casting machine carries with integrated melting furnace. In where, the steady temperature melton metal storaged in metal pool, take a good preparation for quick injection. Under high pressure, the casting process produces superious surface finish cast parts at high efficiency.
| Defect Prevention Through Design
- Porosity Control: added degassing agent into the molten metal, overflows the entrapped gas within the molten metal, improved metal alloy material, select high quality metal alloys, and reducing porosity status on the parts and within hollow within cast parts, enhance the surface finish and integrated structure of the cast parts.
- Avoid Hot Spots: The phonominon is caused due to accept the uneven cooling on the surface of cast part. Maybe the below reason is possible, such as improper design of the part, the poor design of the die cooling system and other alloy solidification behavior. Resonable design of the part, optimization of the die cooling system and improve cast part solidification.
- Flow Balance: Adequate metal flow balance, ensure enven area cooling on the surface of cast part, avoid defects of die casting.
| Surface Finish & Post-Processing Design
- Machining Allowances: the rough cast parts should be processed through some prost-processing options, then allow different surface finishes. These machining methods include polising, grinding, tapping, viberating and shot blasting etc. Machining allowances can provide excellent surface finish of the casts.
- Coating Requirements: Extending the life time and some specific functional requirements of the cast parts, coating requirements of surface treated cast parts is indispensable. These coating processes enhance the cast parts durablities. which are elecroplating, painting, powder-spraying, Anodizing and Electrophoresis etc.
| Quality Control
Implementing strict quality control to mass production of cast parts, ensure finishing the die casting project at high efficiency. Enhance the manufacturability of the die casting factory.
- 100% check for raw materil of metal alloys.
- Inspecting incoming goods and ingoing processed parts
- Partial check for processed parts on production line in any time
- Making standard quality inspection instrument
- AI quality analytics data reference chart
Conclusion
In summary, die casting design for automotive component requires a balance of performance, manufacturability, cost, and quality control. Whether using higher or lower melting points metal alloys, strong design rules directly determine production efficiency and part reliability. Die casting manufacturer require to raise their congnition on die casting design, improve and optimize die casting design for automotive component continuouly, with their own diligent and wise, to create more challengeous die casting projects.
